RIDGEWAY Shotokan Karate Club student AJ (Alison) Orrell from Oakley enjoyed a double medal success at the National Women’s only karate competition held in Wolverhampton.

The competition was organised by one of the Ridgeway’s club instructors Sensei Amanda Gisby, who was also the chief referee.

Orrell, hopes to grade for her black belt this year, competed in kata (forms) with all other adult brown and black belts.

There was an extremely strong field, but the Oakley fighter put in an excellent performance, after the first round she was placed at joint second.

They had to perform a second kata, and she was eventually being awarded the bronze medal by the narrowest of margins.

In the kumite (fighting) competition, Orrell did extremely well making it through to the quarter finals, before losing to the eventual winner, a black belt.

The final event was team kata, where a team of three did synchronised kata together.

The teams were randomly drawn at the beginning of the day.

So team members had to get together with their new team mates during the competition to practice.

Orrell was drawn with a student from Kingsbridge in Devon and another from Preston in Lancashire.

They performed very well and after several rounds their team won the gold medal.

Orrell said: “I really enjoyed the competition and it was a very positive and well run event. I had a fabulous day and have made quite a few new friends.

"It was a fantastic advertisement for women’s karate and i was delighted to have come away with two medals with such hard competition.”

This version of team kata was devised by Gisby and is different from a normal team kata competition which usually is devised of three students from the same club who have practised together a lot.

Gisby said: “This ensures that the competitors mixed with their fellow students from across the United Kingdom and so that no one is left out.

“With the collaboration of the different dojos it also fosters a lovely atmosphere with everyone willing their new team mates to do well as well as the students from their own dojos.”

The competition was an run and organised by Sensei Amanda Gisby 3rd Dan with HDKI from the Basingstoke club in collaboration with Aimee-Jo Morris and Danielle Woodward, both also 3rd Dan with HDKI who are based in Wolverhampton.

Inspired by the this girl can campaign, the idea was to have a women’s only competition run by women for women and girls.

A lot of karate competitions are very male dominated and this can knock the confidence of the women and deter them from competing in such a testosterone filled environment.

Sensei Amanda Gisby said: The whole competition was carried out with a lovely atmosphere and not 1 bad word or argument was heard all day, just all the competitors, referees, coaches and spectators supporting each other and helping to create a great event.”

Following the success this year attracting clubs from as far afield as Plymouth and Kingsbridge in South Devon, across to Norwich and as far north as Preston and Lancaster in Lancashire.

Gisby has already started organising next years event and has promises of competitors from Dublin and Norway so next years event will be international.

Next years event will be on Saturday June 16 and will be held in Wolverhampton again.

If anyone would like any further information Sensei Amanda Gisby can be contacted either at the Ridgeway Centre in Buckskin on Thursday evenings from 6pm to 8pm or Saturday mornings from 10am to midday and also at the North Warnborough Village Hall on Friday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.

She runs the karate club with husband Dave who she trained and is also 3rd Dan with HDKI and cater for all ages from 4 upwards.

For more information please contact them on rskckarate@hotmail.co.uk or visit rskkarate.co.uk